Rotary hydraulic jar mechanism



Aug. 2, 1927.

w. B. wlGLE ROTARY HYDRAULIC JAR MECHANTSM Filed June 1. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Wu. N B. Wma

A TTORNEY.

Aug' 2 1927' W. B. wlGLE ROTARY HYDRAULIC JAR MECHANISM .Filed June 1. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WILSON B. Wham:

A TTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 2, i923. UNITED STATES' l 1,637,505 PATENT OFFICE..

WILSON' B. WIGLE, OFLONG BEACH, CAL'IFUBNIA, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

i T WM. D. SHAFFER, 0F IBIR'EA,v CALIFORNIA. i

ROTARY HYDRAULIC JAR MECHANISM.

Application illed June 1,

This invention relates to a rotary arring mechanism operated hydraulically and de,- signed for use in connection with the drilling of oil wells.

In oil well fishing operations where tools become lost in the well, or the rotary drill pipe becomes stuck or frozen in the hole, mechanically operated jar mechanisms are now generally, employed torecover and relo move such tools, or to jar the pipe loose.

An important object of thisinvention is to provide a simple jar mechanism connected to the lower end of a rotary drill tube and operated hydraulically to deliver a sudden jarring blow to the pipe or tool being fished for to loosen the same.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide a hydraulic jar mechanism which A consists of few manipulated.

Broadly the invention consists in employing a cylindrical casing provided on its lower end with a fishing or drilling tool,

parts, and one that is lreadily 2o detachably cured thereto, and having a pair of upper and lower communicating fluid chambers of 'unequal diameters. Mounted therein is a hollow stemmed valved jar hammer adapted to be detachably Secured to the lower end of a string of rotary drill pipe, the hammer being normally disposed in the lower fluid chamber of the smallest diameter. When an upward pull is exerted on the drill pipe the same will be stretched in length forcing the fiuid in the upper chamber slowly through a bleeder opening in the upper casing chamber, and assoon as the drill pipe attains its maximum limit of stretch andthe jar hammer passes from the lower'to the upper chamber, the fluid in the upper chamber will be rapidly discharged therefrom, thus permitting the drill pipe to contract, and the jar hammer to deliver a blow against the casing head to jar the casing and-loosen the object fished for. The jar mechanism is adapted to be mounted in a string of drill pipe and to rotate therewith, provision being made for circulating the mud laden water therethrough during a drilling or fishing operation: As the jar hammer is provided with check valves the Huid discharged from the upper to the lower chamber on a jarrino' operation Will be returned automatically on a movement of the hammer to its normal posi bb tion in the lower chamber.

lshown ,as a casing spear.

1925. Serial No. 33,974.

Uther objects and advantages of this invention, not at this time particularly enumerated will be clearly understood from the following detailed description of the present invention, the annexed drawings forming a part thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the hydraulic jar connected in a rotary drill pipe line, a fishing tool known as a casing spear being attached to the lower end, the tool shown as enteringbthe upper end of al broken drill plpe Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the spear engaging` the broken drill pipe.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the tool, showing the jar hammer in its lowermost osition.

Fig. 4 is asimilar view`showing the jar hammer moving upwardly in a jarring op eration of the tool. j

Fig. 5 is a like view, showing the jar hammer ready to impact with the casing head of the tool.

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the jar hammer impacting with the casing head 0f the tool.

Fig. 7 is a cross section of the tool taken on line 7 7 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to the above on line 8-8 of Fig. 3. K

Fig. 9- is a partial vertical detail section of the upper portion of the jar mechanism illustrating another, form of bleeding the fluid chamber. y

Fig. 10 is a view similar to the above, showing still another form of bleeding froml the fluid chamber.

`Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the rotary jar preferably com prises a metal casing 10, provided with a lower cylindrical chamber 11, and an upper taken 'chamber' 12 of greater diameter than the lower. The upper end of the casing has a heavy thickened head 13, provided with a centrallyl disposed bushed bore 14 for the passage therethrough of' the stem of the jar hammer. A coupling member 15 is secured in threaded engagement with the lower end of the casing, and the lower end of sald member engages the upper tapered socket 17 of' a coupling 18, to which is secured a fishing tool of any desired type, in this instance Cou ling 15 is provided with a central vertical ore 19 that opens at its upper end into a counterbore 20 110 of larger diameter, the bores providing for the circulation of the mud laden water when the tool is connected in a drill `pipe string. Formed integral with the upper end of the coupling 15 is a hollow tubular member 21, provided with a removable plug 22 having asquared opening 23 formed therein.

The operating mechanism of the jar isV mounted within the casing 10,- and comprises ajar hammer having a head 24 of piston form, provided with an upwardly extending hollow stem 25 formed integrally therewith. The diameter' =of the lower half 26 of stem 25 is less than the bushed bore 14 in the casing head in orderV to permit of a flow of iuid through said bore when the jar hammer leaves the lower chamber ofthe casing, as will be explained further on. The upper portion 27 of the stem 25 is threaded and has asliding fit in bore 14, in which it is normally disposed during the operation of the rotary drill pipe, the threaded end engaging a pipe joint 28 of usual form.

J ar 'hammer 24 has a sliding lit with the cylindrical wall of the lower chamber 11 in order that little orino leak may occurbetween the chambers when the jar hammer is moved from the lower to the upper chambers, and in order that the fluid in the lower chamber lma be displaced or returned to the upper cham er on a return movement ofthe jar. hammer after its operation, the head is provided with a plurality of vertical bores o'r ports 30, each having a ball check valve 31 mounted in its lower end.

Depending from the jar hammer. head 24, is a shank 32, square in cross section andl provided with a central bore 33, that is in ,alinement with the bore formed in head 24 and stem 25. This shank is at all times in sliding engagement with the squared opening 23 formed in the plug 22 of the hollow extension 21, and its cross sectional area 1s less than the area of the opening 23, in order that the fluid -maypass from the bore in the jar hammer stem into the casing chambers of the jar mechanism. By providing the movable jar hammer with a4 Squared shank both the stationary and movable members of the jar mechanism will at all times be rotatably connected, this feature being necessary when rotary fishing tools are employed with the mechanism or the same is permanently mounted in the rotating drill pipe string.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows: Should the drill ipe. become.V broken apart as illustrated in lgs 1 and 2, the upper string of drill pipe is withdrawn from the hole and the broken section of the pipe is removed from the string. The jar mechanism is then connected to the end of the lowermost section in the manner heretofore described. A- fishing tool (in this case a casing spear), is then screwed to the lower end of the jar casing, and the drill string is drill is secured, as shown in Fig. 2. It will be understood that when the drill string with the jar mechanism is lowered into the end of the'broken drill pipe, the head is" forced downwardly into the lower casing chamber 11, the fluid therein passing upwardly through the valve ports Y,in the head to the upper casing chamber 12. When the casing spear is engaged with the upper end ofthe broken drill pipe lodged in the well, an even continuous pull is exerted on the drill 'pipe and the jar hammer connected thereto, and as is well known, the metal drill pipe will stretch considerably in length, the distance of such stretch depending entirely upon its length, in some instances a safe stretch being about 24 inches'in every 3600 feet. As the bleeder opening 36 at the upper end of the casino is quite smallit will be apparent that the drill pipe may be stretched to its maximum length before suliicient fluid disposed above the jar hammer has been forced through the bleeder opening to perv mit the hammer to enter the upper enlarged wardly to cause the jar hammer to swiftly impact with the head 13 of the j ar casing to deliver a jar to the same andthe fishing tool connected therewith. As the upper fluid chamber 12 is of greater diameter than the diameter of the jar hammer, and further as the bore 14 is of greater diametery than the diameter of the lower portion 26 ot the hammer stem when disposed therein, the fluid in the upper chamber will be rapidly discharged therefrom. The above operation may berepeated from time to time until the object lished for is loosened su'iciently to enable the operators to raise the saine to the surface of the well, the valves in the jar hammer head permitting the flow oi. fluid from one casing to the other as occasion demands.

It will be understood that by varying the diameter of the bleeder opening, that the length of stretch in the drill pipe may be easily regulated, thus should the bleeder opening be relatively small in diameter the maximum amount of stretch of the drill pipe will occur and as a consequence the blew delivered to the casing will bc correspondingly heavy, while on the other hand if the bleeder opening is of a sufficient size to permit of a rapid discharge of the fluid from thechambers above the jar hammer, it Will be-lapparentthat an operation of the jar mechanism will occur before the maximum length of pipe stretch occurs. and as a tively light.

In some cases the jar mechanism may be `permanently connected in the drill string, and in such case it will be observed that a perfect circulation may be maintained at all times during the drilling operation the squared shank effecting the' rotation of the jar and the drilling tools connected-thereto. Thus should the tubing become stuckl' or frozen in the well hole, a constant circulation of mud laden water is maintained even when there is cessation of rotation. In loosening' the frozen tubing when such situation arises, the jar mechanism is operated in the same manner as described in connection with al fishing operation.

Instead of forming the bleeder port in the wall of the cylinder, as in the precedingm form it may be formed in the 'jar hammer head 24, (see Fig. 9),. the bleeder port 40 being vertically disposed tol one side of the stem V26. In the form illustrated in Fig. 10, the bleeder port is entirely dispensed with the fluid in the upper chamber leaking around the hammer to the lower chamber on an upward movement of the same. "With the above exceptions the mechanism and operations in each alternative formis substantially the same as in the form first described.

What I claim is:

l1. A rotary jarmechanism comprising a hollow cylinder constituting a fluid chamber having a counter bore at the'upper end thereof, and a far hammer having a stem extending throng lthe upper end of said cylinder and adapted to be connected to a string of pipe, said stem being normally disposed in the lower portion ofsaid cylinder below the -counter bore and having a slidingfit therein, whereby when the jar hammer enters the counter'bore the fluid therein will be displaced to cause an impact of the hammer with the cylinder.

2. AAjar mechanismcomprising a casing provided with two communicating chambers of unequal diameters, a jar hammer head normally positioned in the chamber of smaller diameter, yand a jar hammer stemcarrying said head and extending through the chamber of larger diameter and through the head of said casing. there being a port for bleeding the larger chamber when a pull.

is exerted on the hammer stem, whereby movement of the hammer head from the chamber of smallest diameter is retarded by fluid in the chamber of the greatest diameter'- until the pressure is suddenly relieved by passage, of the jarl head into the larger chamber whereupon an impact Yof the jar hammer upon the casing head is produced to jar the casing anda tool connected with the device.

3, A rotary gar mechanism-comprisi a casing prov1de with-a lower fluid cham er andan upper'fluid chamber of greater diameter having a fluid bleeder port, and a. jar hammer, head having a stem extending upward through said chambers and through the head of said casing and adapted to be connected with a string of pipe, sald hammer' being normally disposed in said lower chamber, whereby when a pull is exerted on saidl hammer stem the hammer head will be retarded in its upward movement by the'lluid in the upper chamber to cause a stretch in the drill pipe thereabove, the hammer being suddenly released by passing into the upper chamber whereby to produce an impact thereof upon the casing head to jarthe same anda tool attached thereto.

` 4:; A rotary jar comprising a cylinder having a fluid chamber-and adapted to carryT a well fishing tool on the lower end thereof, a jar hammer mounted for reciproeationin said lcylinder, a stem secured to said jar hammer and extending without said cylinder, the free end of said stem 'adapted to be secured to a-string ofwell pipe, said jar cylinder having a fluid bleeder port for reg'- ulatin'gthe Yspeed of movement of the ham- .mer when a p ull is exerted on the drill pipe,

said cylinder also arranged to discharge the fluid in the cylinder chamber above the hammer before said hammer completes the limitkof its upward movement, whereby to cause'an impact of the hammer with' the ,cylinder head to jar the same and the fishing tool connected thereto.

5. A rotary jar comprising a easing provided with a lower fluid chamberl and an upper' connectingchamber of greater diameter` having a fluid discharge port therein, a well tool connected to the lower end of said casing," and a jar hammer having a stem ex tending through the upper end of said casingadapted to be vconnected to the lower end of a string of pipe, said jar hammer being normally disposed in the lower fluid chamber prior to its jarring operation and having'a sliding fit, therein, whereby when a pull is exerted on the upper end of the drill pipe the same will be stretched in length and released to deliver .a jarring. blow tothe casing and its connected tool when the jar hammer leaves the lower fluid chamber. 6,-A'rotary jar, including a cylindrical casing having a lower fluid chamber andv an upper connecting chamber of larger diamc eter, a reciprocating jar hammer having an upwardly extending hollow stem normally adapted to be secured to a string of pipe disposed in the lower' fluid chamber, said upper chamber having a fluid bleeder ort for relieving the pressure of fluid against7 the jar hammer 'during its upward movement, the fluid pressure causing a stretch in the length of the pipe when an upward pull is exerted thereon. whereby when the jar hammer leaves the lower chamberthe pipe will suddenly contract to deliver a blow to the casing jar, and valve means in the jar hammer to permit a return of the fluid from the lower to the upper chamber on a return of the hammer to its normal position in the lower chamber.

7. A rotary jar comprising a casing provided with a lower cylindrical Huid chamber and an upper connecting chamber of greater diameter having a fluid discharge port, and a jar hammer having a hollow stem extendingtthrough the upper end of said casmg'and adapted to be connected to a string of pipe, said' hammer being normally disposed in the lower chamber and having a sliding fit therein, whereby when an upward strain is imposed on the string of pipe to move the hammer the luid in the upper chamber will be automatically discharged therefrom to cause the hammer to be arrested by impact with the jar casing.

8. A rotary jar comprising a cylindrical casing provided'with an upper fluid chamber and a lower connecting fluid chamber of smaller diameter, the upper chamber having an open fluid discharge port. a jar hammer slidmgly mounted in the lower chamber and having an upwardly extending hollow stem adpted to be attached to the lower end of a string of pipe, whereby on a movement of the jar hammer upwardly the fluid pressure in the upper chamber'will be automaticallyrelieved when the hammer reaches the upper chamber to cause a jar to be imparted to the casing, and valve means in the hammer to permit a displacement of the fluid in the lower chamber when the hammer is returned to normal.

9. A rotary jar comprising a casing provided with a lower cylindrical fluid chamber andan upper connecting chamber of greater diameter having a fluid discharge port, a jar hammer having a hollow stem extending through the upper end of said casing and adapted to be connected to a string of pipe, said hammer being normally disposed in the lower chamber and having ay sliding fit therein,'wherel,y when an upward strain is imposed on the string of pipe to move the,

' hammer the fluid in the upper chamber will) be automatically discharged therefrom to cause the hammer to be arrested by impact with the jar casing, and means formed on said jar hammerand slidingly engaging the casing for rotating the same.

10. 'A rotary jar comprising a casing having a. fluid chamber therein and provided with a fluid bleeder port, a jarha'mmer having a stem extending upwardly through said casing adapted to reciprocate in said' chamber, said hammer and stem having a bore therethrough, means formed on said jar hammer and slidingly engaging the casing for rotating the same, and means for automatically relieving the fluid pressure in said chamber before the hammer reaches the limit of its upward movement, whereby to cause a sudden jar to the casing by impact of the jar members.

11. A rotary jar comprising a casing havi-ng a pair of connecting fluid chambers of unequal diameters, said jar mechanism having a fluid bleeder port, a recfiprocable jar hammer having a stem adapted to be connected to a string of pipe normally disposed in the chamber of the lesser.diameter, said hammer and stem having a bore communicating with the pipe string, means to connect the jar hammer and casing in rotative engagement, means forrelieving the fluid pressure against the jar hammer when an upward pull is exerted on the same and-bef lore it reaches `the limit of its upward movement, whereby to cause a sudden jar to the casingby the impact of the jar members, and valve means in the jar hammer for displacing the fluid in the chamber of lesser diameter when said hammer is returned thereto. f

12. A rotary jar comprising a cylindrical casing having alined 4bores of different diameters lforming fluid chambers, the casing having afluid bleeder port adjacent the upper end thereof, a movable jar hammer of piston form. mounted to reciprocate in said bores, said hammer being normally disposed in the bore of lesser diameter, a hollow stem connected to said hammer and extending through said casing, said stem adaptedto be vsecured to a ystring of pipe, a shank having a vertical bore and square in cross section, depending from said jar hammer, a hollow member having a squared opening in its upper end wall secured to said casing the vshank engaging said squared opening, whereby to connect the casing and hammer in rotative engagement, and4 a plurality of check valves mounted in said hammer for permitting a discharge of fluid from vthe lower chamber of lesser diameter when the hammer is returned thereto after a jarring operation.

.13. A hydraulic jar mechanism comprising a casing member having a. fluid chamber formed therein, a jar hammer head mounted in said casing member having a stem extending without said member, said stem adapted to be connected to a string of pipe, the fluid in said chamber above the hammer head adapted to retard its upward movement when a pull is exerted on the hammer stem, and means to suddenly displace the fluid in the chamber above the hammer head before the same reaches the limit of its upward travel. whereby to cause a sudden impact of the jar hammer head with the casing member.

M A hydraulic jar mechanism comprising a casing member having a fluid chamber formed therein, a jar hammer head mounted in said casing member having a stem extending without said member, said stem adapted to be connected to a string of pipe and being freely movable therein, the iiuid in said chamber above the hammer head adapted to retard its upward movement when a pull is exerted on the hammer stem, and means to suddenly displace the Huid in the chamber above the hammer head before the same reaches the limit of its upward travel,

whereby to cause a sudden impact of the jar4 hammer head with the casing member.

15. A jar mechanism, comprising a hammer member and an anvil member slackly linked together, means toadmit a fluid between the hammer and anvil members, whereby to retard the movement of the hammer when a pull is exerted on the same, and means to free the fluid between said members in order to cause the hammer member to suddenly contact with the anvil member.

16. In a jar, the combination of a hammer member and an anvil member slackly linked together, and a hydraulic catch to hold said hammer member andl anvil in set position, said catch having means to freethe circulation of liquid thereto as to release and trip said hammer.

17 In a jar, the combination of ahammer member and an anvil member slackly linked together, ,and a hydraulic catch comprising a plun er member operating within a barrel, there eing leak passages communicating vday of April, 1925.

member and an anvil member slackly linked, `together, a hydraulic catch comprising a plunger secured to one of said members, the other member having a plunger barrel in registration therewith, there Vbeing leak passages to permitslow circulation o quid to said barrel, said plunger being arranged to ride outwardly of said barrel so as to permit free circulation of liquid thereto and.

thereby release said hammer.

19. lIn a jar, the combination of a hammer member and an anvil member slackly linked together, a hydraulic catch comprising a plunger secured to one of said members, the other memberI having a plunger barrel in registration therewith, there being a leakv passage to permit slow entrance of liquid back of said plunger, the stroke of said hammer being greater than the leno'th of said lunger, whereby passage of saidbplungerr/om said barrel trips and releases said hammer.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 22nd wILsoN B. WIGLE 

